Final day in the Napa Valley

AH! It is already my final day in the Napa Valley. My time here went by so quickly! It seems like Lindsay and I just got here and now we have to go back to snowy South Dakota. I learned more than I ever thought about wine and managing a small business. It was like drinking from a fire hose! I tried to soak in as much information as I could.

These last couple days have been spent inside for two reasons. One, because it has been down pouring and two, because I have been writing papers about my internship experience. However, Lindsay and I have still been enjoying ourselves. Yesterday, we gathered all of our wine together to put it into shipping boxes. Lindsay has 12 bottles to bring back and I have 6! It was fun to reflect on all the wine we bought and our experiences at the wineries where we purchased it. We were fortunate and got to go tasting at many places. We probably did over 12 tastings, which is pretty good since we did not have a car!

Since Lindsay and I did not work over the weekend I have some facts about wine to leave you with. These facts are coming from a big brochure called, “The Preiser Key to Napa Valley.” This brochure is great because it includes maps of the Napa Valley, restaurants and coupons. We used this a lot during our time here.

Fun Facts:

• ·      vines need 3 years to start producing, and 5 years to be mature. they can produce for 30-35 years with full quality and quantity, but after that, the quantity decreases even though some quality can remain.
• ·      there are about 50-75 grapes in a bunch/cluster
• ·      a pound of grapes contains 4-5 clusters, and thus there are 8,000-10,000 clusters in a ton
• ·      a ton usually make about 2 barrels of wine or 120 gallons
• ·      a barrel of wine produces between 23-25 cases, or (assuming 12 bottles per case), about 288 bottles
• ·      a ton (2 barrels) will produce about 46-50 cases, and 576 bottles of wine
• ·      a bottle usually has within it about 2.75 pounds of grapes, meaning about 11 clusters, or 550 grapes (give or take 50-100)
• ·      there are anywhere from 500-1300 vines grown per acre
• ·      each vine produces about 5 bottles. each acre produces 13-14 bottles, or about 312 cases, which equals about 3,750 bottles
• ·      cost of French oak barrels are $800-1000, while American oak is 30-60% less

I hope you have all enjoyed reading my blog and following my adventures in the Napa Valley. I am so appreciative of all the wonderful people at Jessup Cellars who made Lindsay and my experience so awesome! They are all great people who were generous enough to give us car rides, take us out for lunch, let us follow them around and ask them thousands of questions. I learned a great deal from these people and I am glad they enjoyed sharing their knowledge with me! I look forward to coming back and visiting them!

Cheers! 

I'm a Winemaker

This morning, Lindsay and I woke up early to get caught up on a few things since our internship is wrapping up. :( I finally finished the book Experience Economy by B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore last night, so this morning I began reading Raving Fans, which is by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles. It is such an easy read and explains how businesses can provide the best customer service. I am only partially through, but I recommend it!

Later this morning, Lindsay and I got to partake in an experience Jessup calls Barrel to Bottle Blending. Bay, who is one of the tasting associates, runs this experience. We observed him set up the process like he would for real customers. Then we actually got to blend our own bottle of wine. It was so much fun! We got to taste four different wines and then mix them together to form a wine we each enjoyed. After three trials, Lindsay and I had each found our unique blend.

During this experience, we got to use beakers and it felt like a science experiment. After we got our blend of wine into our bottles, we had to put a cork in it. There is this special machine that allows for us to put the corks into our bottles. Then we had to put the foil on the top to cover the cork. Finally, we each got to name our blend. I named mine “Chrysalis Cabernet” for two reasons. One, because the house I live in at Augie with my three best friends is called the Chrysalis House and two, because the blend is mostly cabernet. I am really happy with my blend and cannot wait to share it with my roommates when I get back!

This afternoon, Lindsay and I spent another day in the office filing, but only for a few hours. Then, Bay took us to an outside tasting at a hotel in Napa. It was fun to see how he conducts his outside sales and how different this one was compared to one we did with a different tasting associate two weeks ago. Bay shared some of his sales wisdom with us and the one thing he stressed was that you must always ask for the sale. This is because if you do not then you do not even have a chance of making a sale. I learned this in the personal selling class I took last spring, so it is interesting to see book material come into play.

It poored rain all day today, but I guess I cannot complain because I have seen pictures of the snow in South Dakota. Not going to lie, I would rather have rain than snow! Stay warm friends in the midwest! 

Cheers! 

Writing for the Newsletter

Today Lindsay and I spent all day in the office. My morning was filled with filing. Lots and lots of filing. I think every job I have had has required some sort of filing. I do not think there is any way for me to avoid it since I am a business major because it is important to have hard copies in case a problem arises.

Then this afternoon, I got to help with the newsletter. Included in every newsletter is a recipe that includes one of Jessup Cellars wines that was sent to the wine club members. Dani gave me the task to find a recipe that included a red wine. I found a recipe called Petite Sirah Short Ribs, but changed it a little to make it Zinfandel Short Ribs. After typing up the changes for the recipe, I added the Jessup Cellars image. I look forward to seeing it in the upcoming newsletter!

Zinfandel Braised Short Ribs

Ingredients:

2.5 pounds of beef short ribs                             

6 ounce can of homemade tomato paste           

Kosher salt                                                       
2 cups Jessup Cellars 2009 Zinfandel                                   

3 Tablespoons olive oil                                                                                      

1 cup onion (coarsely chopped)                                                                       

1 stalk celery (coarsely chopped)                                                                       

1 large carrot (coarsely chopped)                                                                       

3 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 cup water
5 sprigs fresh thyme 
1 large sprig fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf

Preparation:

To start, poor yourself a glass of Jessup Cellars 2009 Zinfandel because there is nothing like a nice glass of wine to begin cooking-up an entre. Begin by preheating your oven to 375 degrees. Generously salt all sides of the short ribs to add a little flavor. Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large dutch oven and cook the short ribs until they are brown on all sides. Then remove the short ribs, put them into a pan and cover to keep warm.

Combine onion, celery, carrot and garlic into a food processor and puree until the mixture resembles a chunky paste. Poor the puree into the dutch oven and brown on high heat, stirring often, until it turns very dark. This will take about 8-10 minutes. Then add your homemade tomato paste and brown on high heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the Zinfandel and then scrape the crusty bits from the bottom of the pan and reduce by half. You can lower the heat if it starts to burn.

Place the short ribs back into the dutch oven and add enough water so it just covers the meat. The add thyme, rosemary and bay leaf. Cover and cook in the oven for 3 hours. Flip meat after 1 hour and 30 minutes of cooking. To allow the sauce to reduce, uncover after 2 hours and 40 minutes. Poor yourself another glass of Zinfandel and enjoy!

Adapted from http://www.tayloreason.com

If you try the recipe you will have to let me know how it tastes! 

On another note, we had our first cloudy day yesterday and it has been raining here all afternoon. This morning I could even see my breath! Hopefully it will warm back up for my last few days in the Napa Valley. 

Cheers! 

To the Vineyards We Go

Early this morning we got to sit in on a staff meeting. There are some changes being made in the tasting room and it was interesting to see how the management team went about explaining the changes to the rest of the employees. First, they started off with congratulating the employees on a great 2011 year. Then, they moved into discussing the changes one at a time. They really put emphasis on how important it is to maintain the positivity of the workplace and to give the customers the same experience despite the new changes. The team also allowed employees to voice their opinions and ask questions. Unfortunately we did not get to stay for the entire meeting.

Lindsay and I had to leave the meeting early to meet Rob, the winemaker, to take us out into the Los Carneros vineyards. These vineyards are on rolling hills and grow Jessup’s grapes for their Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Merlot. This appellation, or region, is perfect for producing these varietals because of its cooler temperatures coming off of the San Pablo Bay.

Rob is incredibly smart and I learned more than I can even remember right now. Here are a few things that stood out when he was answering our questions about the vineyards and explaining different aspects of the vineyards. The vineyards we were in were partially pruned and could be pruned in many ways, but these happened to be cane pruned so they are longer. It is important to make sure that the vines do not get infected after they are pruned. Rob explained it as if pruning leaves an open wound and open wounds are more susceptible to infection. If the vine would become infected, then the infected part, which is now dead, must be cut off to protect the rest of the vine.

Lindsay and I were both curious about how Jessup acquires grapes to turn into wine because they do not have any of their own vineyards. Rob first mentioned that it is extremely expensive to own your own vineyards, which is the reason Jessup does not have their own. Then Rob said that he finds farmers who will sell their grapes to Jessup through signed contracts. The farmers he finds are ones who grow the best of the best grapes and ones who are easy to work with. Grapes are contracted by the block, or an area of land with a certain amount of vines, instead of by tons because there are so many variables that play into how many tons will actually be produced. Rob says it is much easier and safer for winemakers to contract by the block. He also mentioned that since he is the winemaker, it is his decision when the grapes need to be picked. Therefore, during harvest Rob is constantly checking on all the vineyards to make sure the grapes are doing all right.

The mustard 

I also found it interesting that the mustard in between the rows of vines are not just to make the vineyards look pretty, but to add nitrogen into the soil. However, I believe that the nitrogen does not get mixed into the soil unless it is tilled. I never realized how much chemistry goes into winemaking and viticulture before coming to the Napa Valley.

After work, our supervisor took us on two short tastings to try some Zinfandel wines since we have not had any yet. Personally I am not a huge Zinfandel fan, but I did end up getting a Sangiovese, which is a grape that originated from Italy. It is a red wine and very tasty in my opinion. Then, once we got back from the tastings, Lindsay and I went to one of our favorite tasting rooms in Yountville and each bought a bottle of their Chardonnay. We figured since we have less than a week left in the Valley that we should start collecting the wines we want to bring home!

Cheers!  

The Office

Today was spent in the Jessup Cellars office with the Dani, the Director of Hospitality and Guest Services, and Cristy and Stephanie, the two ladies who do wine club and hospitality. I sat in with Cristy today and she explained to me the behind the scenes work she has to do for the tasting room. First, she looks through all the new club memberships that the tasting associates did the previous day and divides them up between herself and Stephanie. Then, they upload the information into their database, which Cristy taught me how to use. The information is either put into the customer’s file or a new file is made. Next, she has to send emails to all the new members to remind them of the details of their membership. Finally, the wine orders are faxed to the shipping company so the customer’s can receive their wine.

Lindsay and I also learned about the process of shipping the wine. There are many variables that play a part that I have never thought of before, such as the weather. Wine cannot be shipped if it is too hot or too cold. In this case, a hold is put on the wine and it will be shipped to the customer when the weather is at a temperature that the wine can handle. However, the customer also has the option to upgrade from ground shipping to air, which can be sent anytime. Another factor is that each state has different shipping regulations and this makes the shipping process a little more complicated.

Our supervisor came and picked us up after working in the office. He gave us some great advise about hiring. In his opinion, hiring for passion is more important than what is on the resume. People can be taught how to do a job, but people cannot be taught how to have a passion. He also said that it is important for his employees to be themselves on the job, meaning that all the tasting associates can let their personality’s shine while conducting a tasting. They do not have a script they have to follow. They each just get to go with the flow until they find their niche on how to sell. I think that is pretty cool, but I know this cannot always work in all careers. 

San Francisco and Schramsberg

Lombard Street

Sunday was such a wonderful day! Aunt Becky, Uncle Dan and Ian took Lindsay and I to San Francisco. It was my first time there and I loved it! First we drove around for a little bit and then parked the car and hopped on the cable car, which use to be called the trolley. We were lucky enough to get seats on the outside of the car. It was fun to ride up and down the steep hills of the city. After riding around for awhile, we jumped off at Lombard Street, which is a very narrow curvy road with a great view of the city. It was cool to see all the cars driving down this street!

Then we ended up walking to the Fisherman’s Warf. I love being by the water, therefore this was one of my favorite parts of being in San Francisco! We walked around down there for most of the day. We stopped for lunch at Boudin, which is a wonderful bakery. I got a bread bowl filled with calm chowder! It was delicious! The bread was great and the chowder was great! When I go back, I will make sure I stop there for lunch again!

Also while on Fisherman’s Warf, we walked to Pier 39. Pier 39 is a huge pier with lots of shopping and places to eat. There is even a carousel in the middle that Aunt Becky, Lindsay and I rode on. It made me feel like I was at the Turner County Fair! We went and saw the sea lions from this pier, as well.

Then we headed to the Golden Gate Bridge. It was such a gorgeous day that we had a perfect view of the Bridge all day. After we drove across it, there was a place to pull over and take pictures, which is what we did. The sun was setting when we were taking pictures, so as you can see it was a beautiful view! I am a sucker for a sunset, so I was very excited to be taking pictures of the Bridge at this time.

For supper we met up with Aunt Becky and Uncle Dan’s friends from Augie at Bin 38. We sat outside and had a wonderful meal!

To end our day in San Francisco, we drove back over the Bay Bridge to head home, but pulled off at Treasure Island to see the skyline all lit up. It was another beautiful view! The Bridge was all lit up and so was the city! It was a perfect Sunday!

On Monday, Lindsay and I went to Schramsberg Winery for a tour and tasting with Aunt Becky and Ian. Schramsberg is well known for their champagne and is a favorite to be served at the White House. It was the most interesting tasting experience we have been on because we got to tour the caves in which the champagne is stored. Schramsberg has two miles of caves! We did not go through all two miles, but we did get to see thousands of bottles of champagne that line the walls of the cave. We also did the tasting in the cave! It was such a fun experience.

Schramsberg 

Aunt Becky and Ian also took us to Castello di Amorosa, which is a winery in a castle. We did not do a tasting, however we did walk around and it was pretty neat. In the tasting area, there was a huge gift shop where a person could buy almost anything from dishware to clothing to wine.

Then for supper we went met up with some of Aunt Becky and Uncle Dan’s friends from Sioux Falls who were in the area. We ate at Ristorante Allegria in downtown Napa. We all had some delicious Italian food. Unfortunately, it was our last night with my family in town. It was so much fun to hang out with them for a long weekend! Lindsay and I are so appreciative for everything they did for us and for giving us this opportunity!! Thank you!!

A Friday and Saturday Full of Fun

 To start off, last Thursday night my aunt and cousin came to Yountville. They took Lindsay and I out to eat at Don Giovanni's in Napa. The food there was amazing!! I think my favorite part of the whole thing was our appetizer, which was fried olives! They were delicious! :)

Don Giovanni's

On Friday, Lindsay and I learned about Jessup Cellars social media presence from their social marketing team. They explained to us how they use Facebook and Twitter to reach their target markets. They check their Facebook page a few times each day to address any questions fans asked and to use pushes and pulls to engage their fans. Pushes are when they give a link to their website to try to get them to purchase wine and pulls are asking the fans a question. The marketing team taught us how to use Facebook Insights in order to track the use of their page. We also discussed Facebook Advertising and learned how to create an ad.

Twitter is still only a small part of Jessup’s social marketing. It is not used as often as it could be so in order to make better use of their account, we decided to set up an app called Instagram. Instagram is a camera that can be used on a smartphone and it sends the picture straight to the Twitter account. This will be useful because it will be a way for Twitter fans to see what is going on in the tasting room by snapping a photo. It will also allow for people to interact more with Jessup Cellars.

The marketing team discussed the Jessup Cellars website, as well. They taught Lindsay and I how to use Google Analytics, which allows for tacking to the traffic on their website. I found this program amazing. Google Analytics shows how many people went to each page, how long they were on that page and where they clicked on the page. This allows the marketing team to know where their traffic is coming from and what pages get the most traffic.

Holiday Party 

Friday night was Jessup’s employee holiday party and Lindsay and I were lucky enough to be invited even though we are only interns. Everyone got all dressed up and it was so much fun! We started off with appetizers and champagne. Then we had some more appetizers and the entre, which was short ribs. Yummy! It was delicious! We also had assorted candies for desert. It was fun to get to know some the people we have been working with better, but it was fun to see how well all the employees enjoy working with each other. The Jessup Cellars team is like one big family and even though I haven’t really been out in the working world, my guess is that not many other businesses consider themselves a family. Someday I hope I am lucky enough to work with a group that enjoys each other’s company as much as they all do.

Saturday was a pretty relaxing day. All of the owners and families went to one of their owner’s house for pizza and football watching. It was a lot of fun! We also played this game called Boulder Dash and it was hilarious!